The Missing Saviour
by MyFrozenSanctuary
Summary: After a few failed attempts at finding out why Henry is crying, Mr Gold is told that Emma and Snow White fell through a portal, and that nothing can bring them back. This is Mr Gold's reaction to the sudden disappearance of their saviour, and how he must deal with his very conflicting emotions. (Golden Swan implicated)
1. Chapter 1

The Missing Saviour

_After a few failed attempts at finding out why Henry is crying, Mr Gold is told that Emma and Snow White fell through a portal, and that nothing can bring them back. This is Mr Gold's reaction to the sudden disappearance of their saviour, and how he must deal with his very conflicting emotions. (Golden Swan implicated)_

_This is for BundyShoes who suggested the idea. 3_

* * *

The air was brittle; an unsympathetic chill against the warmth that escaped the lips of the only man who dared walk the streets of Storybrooke with his head held high. Everything was in disarray; cars had been overturned, broken glass scattered the pavement, and even the street lights had been smashed beyond repair. The destruction of the town had devastated many of the occupants, some even celebrated in the attempted annihilation of this hideous world. While most now concerned themselves with finding friends, and even family members, a certain imp decided to check on the progress of his Wraith.

If everything had gone according to plan Regina would be completely soulless, a shell of her former self. That was _if_ everything had gone to plan. But something hadn't quite felt right as he approached the familiar street that would lead to the station. A slight smile flickered across his face as he inhaled the scent of magic. A substance so familiar that even the slightest smell caused his blood to run cold with delight. Magic was still such an important factor in the plan that Rumplestitskin had, so much more now that he had a Wraith on his hands.

Utter silence confronted the imp as he calmly approached the station, only to be broken by the distinct sound of his cane against the cracked path. The scent of magic was getting stronger the closer he got to his destination, which just about proved that his Wraith had done its job. Satisfied at this, Mr Gold ran a hand through his hair as he gazed around the empty street, taking in the destruction as a monster would see its prey. Regina might be the Evil Queen, but the true fear from the residents of storybrooke belonged to _him._

His eyes suddenly caught movement not too far from where he was standing. Raising his cane, Mr Gold narrowed his eyes trying to see what or rather who was huddling in the darkness of the station doorway. Mr Gold slowly approached, careful to make as little noise as possible. If the figure had noticed Mr Gold it didn't move to acknowledge him. After a moment his eyes adjusted, and noticed the figure was small, surely not an adult.

This was no place for a child.

"Henry?"

It was a wild guess, but something felt like it was the right answer.

"W-Who's T-There?!"

In the darkness, the boy had jumped at the sound of the older man's voice, a single tear escaping his eyes. Mr Gold ventured closer, lowering his cane back down to a walking position. In the night light he could just make out the child's face, which had a mixture of fear and sadness.

"D-Don't come any closer!"

Henry's voice took on a sudden edge; complete fear filled his young voice. In his fear, the child raised the heavy book in his hands ready to hurt anyone who drew too close.

"It's only me, Henry."

"Mr Gold?"

Mr Gold took another step closer to the boy, and then lowered himself so he was crouching beside him, using his cane to support his bad leg.

"Is everything alright, Henry?"

The boy suddenly looked up; his hazel eyes tear stained and red. Henry sniffled; wiping his nose on the sleeve of his shirt before shaking his head quickly, tears threatening to fall. Mr Gold felt something pull at his black heart, and he instinctively placed a hand on Henry's shoulder, for moral support. An idea suddenly came into the imp's mind.

"Why don't we go inside? It'll get you something to eat." Mr Gold suggested holding out a hand to the boy, with the closest thing to a smile that he could manage.

Henry sniffled again but nodded, taking the older man's hand with a weak strength. Using his cane, Mr Gold pushed himself and boy off the ground, being careful that Henry was still holding his hand, who suddenly gripped it like iron. A slight smile flickered across the older man's face, just like Emma. Both trusted him, and were yet afraid of him.

Mr Gold surprised Henry when he pulled out a set of very familiar keys and quickly flicked through until he found the one that would open the door to the station. Henry gazed up at the pawnbroker with a questioning look, wondering how on earth he had managed to get Regina's keys. Mr Gold chuckled and tapped his nose, which put the smallest smile on the younger boys face.

Once the door was open, the lights turned on, and Henry had entered the station, Mr Gold took the quickest gaze around the station, realising that Regina wasn't in her cell. But a part of him had already worked that out, since Henry had been sitting outside, and the door had been locked. The Charmings must have released her. Mr Gold purist his lips slightly in annoyance, with meant that his Wraith hadn't hurt Regina yet.

"Uh, Mr Gold?"

The voice of Henry pulled Mr Gold out of his thoughts, and he looked down at the boy with a faint smile on his face.

"Yes, Henry?"

"Do you prefer that or Rumplestiltskin?"

"I'll answer to either, so you pick whatever one you feel more comfortable with." He answered gently, as he made his way over to the little alcove which was the closest thing to a kitchen in the station.

Henry sat down at the table and placed the open book in front of him, flicking through the pages quickly, as if trying to find something. Mr Gold rested his cane against the wall as he opened the cupboard above the sink and took out two cups. An aha sound came from the young boy and he heard the distinct noise of a finger tapping on a page.

"I want to make a deal with you."

Mr Gold suddenly dropped the cup he had been holding, and it smashed against the sink, spilling into a million pieces. Henry didn't seem to notice and continued on.

"If you make a portal to Fairytale Land, I'll give you _whatever_ you want."

It took a moment for the imp to regain his composure, and he finally glanced over at the boy whose eyes were bright. Why on earth did the boy want a portal to Fairytale Land?

"Henry, Magic is different here. I don't know _how_ to make a portal from this end."

It wasn't exactly a lie; Rumplestiltskin of Fairytale Land knew how to make portals, but the Rumplestiltskin of Storybrooke didn't. Mr Gold watched the face of the young boy drop, and his bottom lip tremble.

"Why'd you want a portal there, anyway?" he asked, turning back to making a cup of tea for himself. "I thought you liked it here."

Henry didn't answer, his attention went back on the book, on the page of a certain event, a deal that Rumplestitskin would remember for a while. Regina looked quite young in the drawing, even beautiful, as she gazed into the reflection of a rather large mirror. In the foreground a certain imp stood beside it, as if showing off his prize. Henry sniffled again, tears threatening to fall.

"How about a hot chocolate?" he asked turning on the jug to boil, "I'll even add in some cinnamon."

That was the last straw. Henry slammed the book shut, and covered his face with his hands. The tears that had threatened to fall finally did and a cry of dismay escaped from his lips. Mr Gold spun around as he heard the sound, and was confronted with a sight he didn't expect; Henry sobbing uncontrollably; hands shaking and tears falling.

Mr Gold grabbed his cane and quickly approached the boy, trying to work out what he had said wrong. Henry sobbed again, burying his head in his hands. Standing there awkwardly, Mr Gold wanted to try and comfort the boy, but wasn't sure how to. It had been centuries since he had to look after a child, and he was still a bit rusty. After a moment's hesitation, he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and squeezed gently. Henry sobbed louder, tears staining the front of the book.

"Henry?"

The boy shook his head, refusing to speak.

"Can you tell me what's wrong?"

Again the boy shook his head.

"I might be able to help…"

Henry finally looked up, his eyes red and tear stained.

"You can't…" His voice was weak, frail from the tears, "You can't help."

"Is it because I can't make portal to Fairytale Land?"

The boy nodded, a few more tears escaping the corners of his eyes.

"Henry, why do you need a portal to Fairytale Land?"

"Emma…"

It took a moment for the name to sink in. _Emma?_

"What about her?" this time he didn't hide his concern.

Henry sobbed again, tears running down his face.

"Did something happen to her?" again, the concern showed.

"She's-She's… disappeared…"

Mr Gold glanced down at the boy, confused. Disappeared? Emma was gone? Then why did Henry want a portal to Fairytale land…

"Henry, do you think she's in Fairytale Land? Is that why you wanted the portal?" he asked, finally understanding why his services were needed.

Henry nodded slowly, wiping his eyes with the back of his sleeves. Mr Gold took a long breath. Their saviour had disappeared. Henry believed her to be in Fairytale Land. Why and how on earth did she end up there? He purist his lips, deep in thought. He had a feeling it had something to do with Regina.

"Please bring her back." Henry whispered taking a hold of Mr Gold's hand, "I'll do anything you ask! Anything!"

Mr Gold looked down at the wounded boy, and wiped away the boy's tears without thinking. Such an instinctive motion, it even surprised Henry who looked up at the older man with new eyes. Nobody did that without having someone they cared about deeply, the smallest smile flicked across his face.

"I might be able to help if I know how it happened."

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	2. Chapter 2 (Henry's Confession)

The Missing Saviour

_Thank you all sooo much for the reviews! It really made my day ^.^_

Next chapter will be the finally chapter. It'll be about the real reaction to Emma's disappearance, where he'll enter her dreams as he tries to find her :p

_Anyway, I just wanted to say that I love you all. 3_

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Henry's grip of Mr Gold's hands never slackened, much to the surprise of the older man, who was looking at this child with new eyes. When faced with the danger that came with being in any contact with The Dark One, Henry's reaction was to ignore it all, to find comfort in the embrace of a wounded man too weak to protect the one he cared about most. As if sensing this, Henry raised his gaze from the book to look up at Mr Gold, the smallest smile splayed across his young face. Without realising it, without even trying too, his own lips formed a smile, a reassuring one to mirror Henry's. Satisfied at this response, Henry turned his attention back to the book, flicking through pages as he sipped his hot chocolate.

_Such a strange child: most, if not all run at the sight of me, instead he approaches me with those brown eyes of his, pleading for an answer to a question I cannot give. Would it be so bad to lie to him? To give him the answer he seeks, knowing full well that he deserves to know the truth? _

"…maybe if _you_ talk to Regina, she might tell you where Jefferson—Hey, are you even listening to me?"

A sharp pain interrupted Mr Gold's thoughts, who blinked several times to clear his mind. Henry's annoyance, an expression so close to his mother's that it took Gold a few seconds to remember this wasn't Emma staring at him. The pain came again, a sharp almost tear jerking pain that made him clench his teeth. Henry moved his free hand away, now satisfied he had the older man's attention. Mr Gold glanced down at his hands; both had a red marks where the boy had pinched him.

It took a second for Henry to realise that wasn't the smartest thing to do to a man who had endless magic at his disposal. The boy's annoyance faded instantly, taken by fear. His face displayed his panic, an expression too pure for such a boy.

"I-I'm so sorry! I-I-It was just the thought of you not listening…. "

Laughter, a chuckle that had been hiding inside for such a long time, finally surfaced. Mr Gold's face broke into a grin, his body shaking with laughter. Henry's panicked expression, along with the attempted apology, was just perfect. Never had the boy seen such amusement from Mr Gold, who was truly beside himself with laughter.

Henry watched on, a mixture of confusion and fear still ever so present on his face. Never had he seen so much expression for the older man, especially something that had caused him to laugh like that. What on earth was Mr Gold laughing at? Surely the pinches didn't hurt that much…

It felt like forever, when Mr Gold's laughter finally subsided, his expression still joyous.

"Oh my dear boy," Mr Gold finally spoke, messing up Henry's hair, "You are _so _much like you're mother."

Henry raised an eyebrow.

"Do you mean Emma or Regina?"

Mr Gold chuckled again, wiping the tears from his eyes. He couldn't even recall the last time he had laughed so hard. His smile was contagious; Henry couldn't help the grin that spread across his lips. Looking at him now, Mr Gold could pinpoint several key things in his expression that reminded him of Emma. The thought of her name sent another wave of emotion, hidden beneath his interior. Henry was staring at him, his intensity too strong for a boy.

"You now have my complete undivided attention." Mr Gold smirked, placing his head in his hands and stared at the boy. "Use it wisely."

It took a few tries; each one causing Mr Gold to chuckle, which would always result in Henry laughing. If anyone had walked in on the pair, eyebrows would be raised, and sanity questioned. Neither of them truly cared how odd they looked, a young boy explaining his plan in great detail to a man whose attention he had full control over. It was a bittersweet exchange, a time where the two of them could be seen together without anyone interrupting them, neither one of them wishing ill on the other.

The way in which Henry's hands moved as he pointed to each Fairytale character, the smile he gave as Mr Gold confirmed that each character was said person, and the way in which the young boy started to feel at ease in the company of a man he shared a special bond with, was something that even Rumplestitskin found comfort in. Hidden in the depths of himself, Mr Gold could feel a very raw emotion curl around his blackened heart, suffocating his every breath. Henry continued on, as if nothing was wrong. Something was wrong. Everything was wrong.

"Henry…"

"It's not like you can't—"

"Henry."

The boy snapped his head up, noticing the difference in tone. Staring up at the man, he could detect the smallest lip tremble as Mr Gold tried to keep his emotions in check. Henry opened his mouth to speak, but closed it as Mr Gold raised his hand, a forced smile on his face.

"Can you give me a minute?"

Henry didn't hide his surprise at the request, but nodded quickly in response. Mr Gold got to his feet, a little unsteady at first as tears threatened to blind his vision, before he felt the warmth of a hand on his arm, keeping him steady. Blinking away the tears, Mr Gold turned away from the boy and his confused face, and made his way into the kitchen. His cane was loud in the now quite station; Henry stared after him, trying to work out what he had done wrong.

Mr Gold was grasping at straws, his hands trying to find something to grab, to take away his pain. His fingertips brushed past the kettle, which he turned on, a coffee cup which he placed a bag of tea in, and the handle of the tap. Resting his cane against the counter, Mr Gold took a deep shuttering breath. As tears swelled in his eyes, he gripped the edge of the counter with both hands, trying to deterrent the tears away from his eyes. Nobody was going to see him cry. Never again.

Something was tugging his jacket, a weak voice came next, but it was muffled. Mr Gold blinked slowly and half turned to face the boy who clung to his suit jacket, with a forced smile.

"You don't have to pretend to be strong—"

"Henry—"

"No, I need you to listen to me." Henry's voice was strong, stronger than it had ever been before.

Something stirred deep down in the darkest depths of his black heart; a voice crying out for escape. So badly did it cry, in a voice that tormented his every memory. Henry tugged at his jacket again, pulling him back into the present.

"You've _always_ been there for me; for as long as I can remember—No, listen. If I had a fight with Regina, you were there to comfort me, giving me sweet incentives until you had convinced me that Regina wasn't _that_ bad—"

"Stop it…"

"You don't have to pretend anymore. You're not the monster everyone thinks you are. I _know_ there is good inside you—"

"Henry, stop it."

"No. Not until you understand!"

Tears were forming in Henry's eyes; his hands were shaking as he gripped the jacket. Mr Gold watched on, his own tears threatening to finally fall from his eyes. Here was a boy, who was doing everything in his power to break the century old façade that had kept Rumplestitskin from breaking down at his memories.

"You've been there for me, so why can't I be here for you?"

Mr Gold took another long breath, his body shuddering as the words washed over him. Henry was willing to listen without judgement, to squeeze his hand as tears threatened to fall, to smile up at him with that familiar smile. A single tear escaped, rolling down his cheek. Someone cared. Someone actually cared.

"Being here…" he whispered, his voice weak, "is enough…"

And then Henry did something, he didn't see coming. The small boy suddenly embraced Mr Gold, wrapping his arms around the man as he buried his head against his lower chest. Completely taken off guard, Mr Gold stiffened for a moment, and then relaxed. Instinctively he stroked the boys hair, tears falling from his eyes freely now.

Henry said something, but it was completely muffled against the suit. Mr Gold smiled weakly, staring down at the boy with amazement. His vision blurry, there were enough similarities to mistaken Henry for his son. This sent another wave of sadness through him, causing him to shudder. They were too similar, way too similar.

"We'll find them, Henry."

The boy looked up at Mr Gold, and wiped his tears away.

"We'll get Emma and Snow White back—"

"Your son too."

It took a moment for the words to sink in. Mr Gold didn't hide his shock as he looked down at the boy. How on earth?

"It was Emma. She remembered you mentioned a son."

Mr Gold smiled weakly. Of course, he had mentioned it when he had given Emma the walky talkies. Henry leaned up on his tippy toes and wiped away the tears from the pawnbrokers face. Taken aback, Mr Gold caught the gaze of the boy, who smiled.

"We'll find him, Mr Gold. I promise."


End file.
